Continuing military excavations in Vanni imply existence of secret detention of ex-LTTE members

The head of Mullaiththeevu district organisation of the families of enforced disappeared, Ms Easwary Mariyathas, told TamilNet on Saturday that the recent upsurge of ‘treasure hunting’ operations by the occupying military of genocidal Sri Lanka, was an indicator that the SL military was still detaining ex-LTTE members in secret detentions. There have been many recent incidents in which SL military or SL military associated groups from the South, engaging in targeted treasure hunting operations in the Vanni mainland. The squads seem to be particularly interested in finding gold reserves from the LTTE times. 

A group of airmen belonging to Colombo's Air Force (Sri Lanka Air Force) were detained last Wednesday at Aaladi in Mu'l'livaaykkaal after the people in the area complained of suspicious excavation activities by the three-member squad. 

However, the SLAF command in Keappaa-pulavu was quick to instruct the SL police to release the SLAF personnel claiming that it was a secret military operation. 

Similar incidents have also been reported at Tharmapuram in Ki'linochchi district and several locations of Vavuniyaa and Mullaiththeevu districts in the recent days. 

Apart from these secret operations, there are also many operations conducted with legal permission from the SL courts. 

The excavation squads that come to the localities in Vanni seem to have advance information about the possibility of LTTE arms or gold dumps from the past. 

The squads, comprising of experts from the South, also deploy expensive Swiss-made gold detection equipment.